


What Brandt notices

by britishbossy



Series: Benji and Ellen - an impossible love story [4]
Category: Mission: Impossible (Movies)
Genre: Ellen and Benji are so cute together, Ethan Hunt genderbend, F/M, Lip reading, Secret Relationship, all Will and Luther do is bet, female Ethan Hunt - Freeform, losing a bet, on a mission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:14:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22653835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/britishbossy/pseuds/britishbossy
Summary: Will is (as always) the last to know.
Relationships: Benji Dunn/Ethan Hunt
Series: Benji and Ellen - an impossible love story [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1553824
Kudos: 5





	What Brandt notices

Will Brandt is still a little upset that he's missed the fallout. Sure, he couldn't have helped it for he was strapped to a hospital bed and Ellen's team couldn't possibly have waited for him to recover from his injuries (he'd gotten after jumping out of a window just like Ellen always does, however he didn't get as lucky as her) but it's safe to say that Will's a little pissed. When he meets Luther months later back at the IMF, the man refuses to tell him any details but when he's about to walk away he turns again, claiming that Will owes him 30 bucks.

“For what?” Will demands, totally at a loss. Luther and he have had several bets going over the last years and some of them are still going on.

“You'll see on your next mission, man.” Luther smiles.

“You were assigned with Ellen and Benji for Seattle, right?”

Brandt nods.

“Yeah, why?” But Luther has already turned and walks down the hallway.

He gets called in for a meeting shortly after and Benji is there as well. Will spends the entire 30 minutes by staring at the technician, trying to remember which bet he had going on with Luther about him.

30 bucks, Benji chickens out.

50 bucks, Benji has no idea what he's doing.

60 bucks, Benji's lost the track.

100 bucks, Benji's gonna pick Ellen's side.

Really, the list is long. Of course, Benji notices his staring and finds him after the meeting.

“Oh, hey, Benj” He greets in false surprise.

“Are you alright, Will?”

“Right as rain, how about you?”

Benji doesn't seem to buy it, however he says nothing.

“Fine, thanks. Listen, about the intel -”

“Yeah, sure, anytime, man.” Will interrupts him.

“Listen, Benj, you ever lost a track in the past weeks?” Benji blinks at him.

“No, not for ages, why?”

“Nothin'.” Will smiles and claps his friend on the shoulder before he looks around, desperate to change the subject.

“Hey, you seen Ellen? Isn't she supposed to join this mission?” For a second there, he's certain that Benji's expression softens a little bit at the sound of their team leader's name but it's gone as quickly as it appeared.

“Yeah, she's still up in British Columbia, doing...something.” Will could swear the technician blushes in that moment.

“She'll join us in Seattle at the safe house.” Benji adds and his blush dims again. Will watches him for a moment longer before he nods. There's definitely been something at or right after the fallout that he's missed. And Luther didn't even think of filling him in on it, the bastard. He bids Benji goodbye and walks over to his office.

There is a deal with biochemical weapons to be made, right inside the Space Needle. As they can't just walk through the front door, Ellen's supposed to jump off a plane, land on top of the building and rappel down to the windows. It wouldn't be a problem as she has done several stunts like this before but when they run from the police once more, Ellen falls off a bike and breaks her left leg. Will is about to send her home but she refuses and insists to play the distraction from inside. Which leaves only Benji for the task as Will is the only one who can fly a helicopter.

Ellen's eyes are fixed on Benji when he tries to desperately calm himself by babbling out a number of statistics on plane security and ropes. He's scared for he has never done this before but they're running out of time (as always) and even though Ellen tells him it would be okay if he said no, they all know better. So, they walk Benji through the plan step by step, Ellen shows him how to work the rope and the parachute multiple times, even though she can barely stand on one leg. Benji makes her sit down on a metallic box and stands in front of her as she fixes the parachute around his form for one last time. Will can see that they're both uncomfortable with the idea of Benji doing the jump, however it seems that at the same time they're trying to push their doubts aside for one another. Will checks his watch with Benji's and heads for the helicopter already, leaving his two colleagues in the storage room.

When he gets back, he cannot help but feel like he's seeing something he shouldn't. Benji's standing closer to Ellen than before, practically between her legs and she has rested her head against his chest, her eyes closed. Will stops at the door and partly hides behind it, not quite sure yet what he's seeing. Yes, Benji has had a crush on Ellen for as long as he has known her but when exactly did they both cross professional boundaries? That must be what Luther has been talking about then! Will and he do have a bet going that Benji and Ellen will hit it off before this year's Christmas party. The agent focuses on the lips of his colleagues, for he's always been an expert at lip reading and is standing too far away to actually hear what they're saying. Benji mutters something to Ellen but the words are lost against the top of her head. She lifts it then to look at him.

“You sure you wanna do this?” She asks him and Benji shrugs.

“It's not like we have an alternative.”

Ellen furrows her brows at that and puts her hands on his chest. The gesture is too familiar, too intimate for it to be just between friends.

“You're allowed to say no, Benji.”

“I know that. And yes, I'm scared but I'm sure it will be fine.” He gives her a smile that Will supposes is meant to look encouraging. Ellen looks down at that but Benji's not having it puts a finger beneath her chin to make her look at him once more.

Alright, that's definitely not what friends do! Damn, Luther was right! Will was sure that Benji would only admit his feelings when drunk or dying and that Ellen was too oblivious to notice by herself.

“I'm stronger than I look.” Benji says and Ellen smiles at that.

“I know. It's just, imagining you, doing this...” She hesitates and Benji chuckles lightly.

“Now you see what I'm going through every time you do something like this.” Ellen huffs out a laugh before growing serious again, her hands now placed on Benji's shoulders. For a brief moment, they seem completely entranced by one another. It's like they have zoned out and disappeared into a world only accessible through the other's eyes. Their body's seem relaxed, their demeanor reeks of intimacy and trust. When Ellen pulls Benji down to her, Will turns his back, allowing them their privacy. He feels happy for them. Really, it was getting annoying to watch Benji hopelessly gauge at Ellen, smiling at her like she'd hung the moon, etc..

Then he remembers that he's lost the bet and he stomps his foot in anger.

When they all get together at the IMF Christmas party, Will gives Luther the 30 bucks without a word. Luther smiles smugly and turns away just before Will can tell him to keep his mouth shut.


End file.
